About the district

West Bend School District is located in Washington County, Wisconsin.

West Bend School District is located in Washington County, Wisconsin. The county seat of Washington County is West Bend. Washington County was home to 132,739 residents in 2013, according to the United States Census Bureau.[3]

Demographics

Higher education achievement

Washington County outperformed the rest of Wisconsin in terms of higher education achievement in 2013. The United States Census Bureau found that 27.6 percent of Washington County residents aged 25 years and older had attained a bachelor's degree compared to 26.8 percent for Wisconsin as a whole.[3]

Median household income

Between 2009 to 2013, the median household income in Washington County was $66,159. During that same time period, the median household income for the entire state was $52,413.[3]

Poverty rate

The poverty rate in Washington County was 6.3 percent from 2009 to 2013. The poverty rate for Wisconsin during that time was 13.0 percent.[3]

Note: The United States Census Bureau considers "Hispanic or Latino" to be a place of origin, not a race. Therefore, the Census allows citizens to report both their race and that they are from a "Hispanic or Latino" place of origin simultaneously. As a result, the percentages in each column of the racial demographics table will exceed 100 percent. Each column will add up to 100 percent after removing the "Hispanic or Latino" place of origin percentages, although rounding by the Census Bureau may make the total one- or two-tenths off from being exactly 100 percent.[5] This Ballotpedia page provides a more detailed explanation of how the Census Bureau handles race and ethnicity in its surveys.

Superintendent

Ted Neitzke is the superintendent of the West Bend School District. He has served in this position since July 2011. He started working for the district in 2004 as a middle school principal. In 2009 he took on the position of assistant superintendent and served for two years before becoming superintendent.[6]

School board

The West Bend Board of Education consists of seven members elected at-large to three-year terms.[7][8]

School board elections

Members of the West Bend Board of Education are elected at-large to three-year terms on a staggered basis each year. Three seats were up for election in 2014, two seats are up for election in 2015, and two seats are up for election in 2016.[7]

Public participation in board meetings

The West Bend Board of Education does not maintain a policy on public testimony during board meetings on their website.

Budget

Details on the district's budget in recent years can be found in the table below. The following chart shows the percentages of expenditures by type for the 2014-2015 school year.[9]

Expenditures by Category

School Year

Staff Expenses

Student Services

Operational Expenses

Debt Service

Other

Budget Total

Total

% of Budget

Total

% of Budget

Total

% of Budget

Total

% of Budget

Total

% of Budget

2013-2014

$65,993,751

75%

$14,279,302

16.2%

$1,216,653

1.4%

$4,758,474

5.4%

$1,753,839

2%

$88,002,019

2014-2015

$67,293,904

75.5%

$14,463,096

16.2%

$1,265,319

1.4%

$4,409,718

4.9%

$1,753,377

2%

$89,185,414

Averages:

$66,643,827.5

75%

$14,371,199

16%

$1,240,986

1%

$4,584,096

5%

$1,753,608

2%

$88,593,716.5

Teacher salaries

The average teaching salary in the West Bend School District is $46,131.[10]

Schools in West Bend School District

Enrollment

West Bend School District served 7,008 students during the 2013-2014 school year. Enrollment in the district increased by 0.3 percent from 2009 to 2013.[2]

Total enrollment

Year

Enrollment

Year-to-year change (%)

2009-2010

6,987

-

2010-2011

6,963

-0.3

2011-2012

7,008

0.6

2012-2013

6,920

-1.3

2013-2014

7,008

1.3

District schools

West Bend School District operates 11 schools, which are listed below in alphabetical order:[11]

The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction administers annual Wisconsin Student Assessment System (WSAS) tests to students throughout the state. These tests assess proficiency in math and reading among students in grades three through eight as well as 10th grade. WSAS tests also evaluate proficiency in language arts, science and social studies at grades four, eight and 10. The Department of Public Instruction publishes results from WSAS tests as part of each district's Annual District Report Card.[12]

The Annual District Report Card compares district performance with state performance based on four criteria:[12]

Student Achievement: This category compares reading and math performance by district students to state and national standards.

West Bend School District achieved an overall score of 71.2 during the 2013-2014 school year. The district's overall score led to a "Meets Expectations" designation from the Department of Public Instruction. The following tables compare district performance with state performance and detail the accountability ratings for schools in the district, according to the 2013-2014 Annual District Report Card:[12]

Annual District Report Card grades, 2013-2014

Category

District score

State score

Student achievement

70.7

66.4

Student growth

60.1

62.4

Closing gaps

65.4

66.3

On-track and postsecondary readiness

88.5

85.3

Accountability ratings for schools in the district, 2013-2014

Category

Number of schools

Percentage of schools

Significantly exceeds expectations

0

0.0%

Exceeds expectations

2

16.7%

Meets expectations

8

66.7%

Meets few expectations

0

0.0%

Fails to meet expectations

0

0.0%

Alternate Accountability - Satisfactory Progress

2

16.7%

Alternate Accountability - Needs Improvement

0

0.0%

Historical data

The state's Annual District Report Card includes a review of district and state proficiency information in mathematics and reading for the previous five years. This review includes data from the Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Examination (WKCE) and the Wisconsin Alternate Assessment for Students with Disabilities (WAA-SwD) for students from grades three through eight and 10. The following tables compare the district's percentage of proficient and advanced proficient students with state levels from the 2009-2010 school year through the 2013-2014 school year:[12]

Mathematics proficiency comparisons, 2009-2013

School year

District proficiency rate (%)

State proficiency rate (%)

2009-2010

55.8

47.0

2010-2011

56.4

46.8

2011-2012

56.4

48.3

2012-2013

55.1

48.2

2013-2014

54.2

48.8

Reading proficiency comparisons, 2009-2013

School year

District proficiency rate (%)

State proficiency rate (%)

2009-2010

40.9

35.7

2010-2011

41.5

35.7

2011-2012

41.3

36.0

2012-2013

41.2

36.4

2013-2014

38.5

36.7

Issues

Student protest leads to one arrest and multiple misdemeanor charges

On November 20, 2014, administrators sat down with students from West Bend East and West Bend West high schools to discuss a new hall pass procedure. What started out as a peaceful meeting turned ugly when one student stood up on a lunch table and started "speaking his mind and swearing," according to one student at the meeting. When administrators tried to pull him off the table, a fight began. The student was arrested by police, but dozens of others started tearing through the halls, ripping down posters, flooding sinks and pushing furniture. Fifteen more police officers arrived to help contain the students, and the school went on soft lockdown until things settled down. No student or staff member was injured during the protest.[13]

The student protest led to 75 students receiving three-day suspensions from the school district. After reviewing video of the incident and interviewing administrators, staff and 137 students, the police then charged 23 of them with disorderly conduct, which is a criminal misdemeanor. Another 23 students were issued municipal citations for disorderly conduct. The misdemeanors are punishable by up to 90 days in jail and/or a fine of up to $1,000, and the municipal citations range from $376 to $439, depending on the age of the student.[14][15]

Contact information

West Bend School District
735 South Main St.
West Bend, Wisconsin 53095Phone: (262) 306-4800Fax: (262) 335-5423